Twine-cutter.



No; 720,158. PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

E. F. KNOWLES & A. G. DIGKSON.

TWINE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1902.

m2 NORRIS twins :0. PHOTO-LITHQ. wAsHmaToN. n. c.

ATNT @FFICE.

EDWIN F. KNOWLES AND ARTHUR e. DICKSON, or SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA.

TWINE-CUTTER. j

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,158, dated February 10, 1903.

Application filed July 24,1902. $erial No. 116,869. (No model.)

To ctZL whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN F. KNOWLES and ARTHUR G. DICKSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Santa Ana, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Twine-Gutters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates primarily to a twinecutter designed for use in the United States mail service, but it may be used elsewhere;

and the objects thereof are to provide a twine-cutter which can be attached readily to and detached from a case or a table and one in which the cutting-blade can be easily and quickly put into the operative orinoperative position. 'We accomplish these objects by the twinecutter described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied for use at a mail-clerks case.

Figure 1 is a front View of a mail-clerks case with our twine-cutter attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the case with the twine-cutter attached. Fig. 3 is a side viewof the twine-cutter in its operative position detached from the case.

In the drawings, A is the frame of the twine-cutter, the front end of which is U- shaped. To the lower side of the bottom A thereof is attached thehooked cutting-blade B, its shank B passing in sliding contact through the spring-pressed clamps O and is prevented from slipping therethro'ugh by lug. B" on the end thereof. To the top of the bottom of the frame is affixed spring D, having teeth D in the edges thereof, which project slightly above the upper surface thereof to prevent any side or forward movement of the cutter. The f-rontend of this spring extends between the top A and the bottom of the frame and'through a slot E in the front end of the frame, so that the front end of the spring can be readily depressed and the cutter removed from the case when desired. This spring is preferably attached near the center portion thereof and the ends are bent,

as shown, so that when the cutter is placed in position in the case F it will be held securely in the position in which it is placed.

In the operation of our cutter the top of the frame, which is preferably shorter than the bottom to facilitate its attachment to and detachment from the case F, is slipped on one 'of the partitions, while the front end of the spring D is held depressed against the bottom of the cutter-frame and the cutter is pushed back into the case until the front end of the framecontacts with the partition, when the front end of the spring is released and immediately rises and contacts with the under side of the partition and holds the cutter securely in place. The knife B is then drawn out to its extended position, as shown in Fig. 3, when it is ready for use. It is obvious that the wrapping-twine on a package of letters can be quickly cuton the knife. Now if the knife in its extended position interferes with the distribution of the lettersit can be quickly pushed back out of the way and as quickly drawn out for use on the next package. It can be usedin thesame manner in tying up packages of letters. In large cases the position of the cutter can be readily changed from .one point to another thereon as desired,

spring D affording ready means to attach and detach it from the case.

It will be obvious that a twine-cutter of this construction is much more convenient than a pocket-knife, which must be taken up and put down every time its separate use is desired, and that a pocket-knife is very liable to become covered up and to get lost. It is also obvious that this form of cutter is more convenient than a stationary cutter, as with a stationary cutter the packages must always be brought to the place where the cutter is, andif the cutter projects far enough to be convenient at all times it is sometimes in the way. Our removable cutter can be placed at the most convenient position and can be readily and easily changed to another position, and the knife can be moved to the operative or inoperative position out of the way without any appreciable loss of time. Our twinecutter is also adapted for use in establi shments where a great .many packages are tied or untied.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A twine-cutter comprising a frame U- shaped at its front end; a knife slidably mounted to the bottom of said frame; a spring aflixed to the top of the bottom of the frame having both ends free, the front end projecting between the top and bottom and then through the front of said frame and having teeth projecting above the upper surface thereof and adapted to clamp the frame to a partition of a case.

2. In a twine-cutter the combination of a U-shaped frame; a spring having the ends thereof free and teeth therein on the top thereof affixed to said frame, the front end of which projects between the arms of the U and extends beyond the front of said frame;

a hooked-bill cutting-blade having the shank l5 EDWIN F. KNOWLES. ARTHUR G. DICKSON.

Witnesses:

J. G. QUICK, S. H. FINLEY. 

